1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrier handling apparatus for a module IC (integrated circuit) handler and method therefor, used for testing the performances of the module ICs having been produced, and more particularly to a carrier handling apparatus for a module IC handler and method therefor, for performing effective tests while carrier having a plural module ICs therein are transferred between the processes, and providing the carrier being capable of loading and transferring the module ICs with various lengths.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Typically, a module IC refers to a structure provided with a substrate having one side or both sides thereof for fixedly mounting a plurality of ICs and electronic components, for example, by soldering, and has a function for extending a capacity when it is mounted at a mother substrate.
Such module IC provides higher added-value when sold, as compared with individual sale of each IC as a final product. To this end, the IC manufactures tend to develop it as main product and sell it.
However, the module IC as a product available from the market is relatively expensive and thus entails higher reliability as an important factor. This requires strict quality test for passing only product determined to be good, and otherwise, modifying or discarding all the module ICs determined to be not good.
In the prior art, there has been no apparatus for automatically loading the module ICs as final products into a test socket, testing the same, classifying into respective categories depending upon the test results and then unloading the classified modules into the customer trays.
To test the completed module ICs, the operator manually has to pick up one piece of the module IC from the test tray in which the module ICs are contained therein, load it into the test socket, conducts the test for a time period preset, and finally classify the module IC depending upon the test result in order to put it the customer tray. This results in lower productivity due to the manual work.
Further, such tedious repetition contributes to lower productivity.
To solve such a problem, the inventors developed an automatic module IC handler adapted to test the module ICs, disclosed in Korean patent and utility model applications. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the prior module IC handler. The following is to explain the method for handling the module ICs contained in the tray.
A loading side picker 6 is shown which is adapted to move along the X-Y axes 4, 5. The picker 6 moves to a tray 4 located at a loading side, and then descends. Then, the picker 6 picks up plural module ICs from the tray, and then holds same.
After the picker 6 holding the module ICs elevates up to the top dead point thereof, the picker 6 then moves to a test site 7 along the X-Y axes 4, 5. The picker 6, after arriving at the test site 7 and being moved downward, places the plural module ICs on tops of test sockets positioned at the test site 7.
Such sequential procedures permit the placement of the plural module ICs on the test sockets. This is repeatedly performed until all test sockets at the test site 7 have the module ICs therein, respectively.
After the plural module ICs have been placed on the test sockets, all the ICs are simultaneously pushed downward so that patterns formed at both sides of the module IC can be in contact with terminals of the test socket.
The module ICs are tested for a time period preset by a tester. The performance test results are reported to a central processing unit.
After the test for the module ICs has been finished, a separate pusher is operated to discharge the module ICs from the test sockets. At this time, an unloading side picker 8, disposed on the Y-axis, holds plural module ICs from the test-sockets, classifies same depending on the test results, and then places the sorted ICs into a customer tray 9.
The details of the above-mentioned procedures are given below. With fingers of the picker 6 for holding both edges of the module IC being fully opened, the loading side picker 6 is moved to the tray 3 in order to hold the module ICs contained in the tray 3.
After the loading side picker 6, under such a condition of the picker 6, is moved to the tray 3 along the X-Y axes 4, 5, the picker 6 is positioned above the module IC, and then descends at that position, the fingers are moved inwardly toward each other to hold the module IC.
The picker 6 holding the module IC by such procedures is moved to the test site, and then descends. The fingers are outwardly spread to place the module IC on the test socket. After the plural module ICs are placed on the test sockets by the loading side picker 6, the loading side picker 6 is moved to the tray side so as to hold new module ICs.
With the repetition of such sequential procedures, the module ICs to be tested can be loaded into the plural test sockets located at the test site. Thereafter, a main cylinder and poking cylinder are operated to drive the pusher to be moved downward. The downward movement of the pusher presses top surfaces of the module ICs placed on the test sockets. Therefore, the patterns formed at both sides of the module IC can be in contact with terminals of the test socket. The performance tests for the module ICs can thus be achieved.
After the completion of the tests for the module ICs, a discharging cylinder is made driven to rotate a discharging lever for extracting the module ICs inserted into the test sockets. Thereafter, another picker at the unloading side is moved to the test site side along the X-Y axes 4, 5 and holds the module ICs IC having finished the test. The module ICs classified according to the test results are placed into the customer tray.
However, since the prior handler is operated in such a manner that it uses the loading side picker to hold the module ICs and to directly transfer the held ICs into test socket located at the test site, the following problems are caused.
Firstly, since the picker holds the module ICs to load/unload the IC into/from test socket, the picker cannot be used to handle the module ICs in a sealed chamber, and therefore only the tests under a room temperatures is possible.
Thus, the module ICs passed in the tests, but tested only at a normal temperature, become available from the market. However, because the module IC is actually driven at higher temperature in using such a module IC mounted on the appliances, there occurs a difference between both conditions at the test and at an actual use of the IC, thus resulting in lower reliability of the product discharged.
Secondly, since the module ICs in the tray and in the test socket are held and transferred by the picker, the transfer of the module IC cannot be made during the tests. Therefore, an elongated cycle time is introduced, by which lots of module ICs cannot be tested during a time interval given.
Finally, since the module ICs are directly handled by the picker, it permits only a horizontal installation of the test socket in the test site. In case another type of the module ICs are to be tested, inconvenience of exchanging the socket assembly occurs.
To sole such problems, it was proposed a scheme of using a carrier for accommodating the module ICs and for carrying the carrier between the test processes so as to further enhance the product reliability.
In case the carrier is used to receive therein the module ICs and transfer the carrier, at first, the loading side picker holds the module ICs in the tray and then sequentially loads same into the carrier horizontally placed at the loading position. The carrier having therein the module ICs is horizontally moved to a loading side rotator to be locked thereto. Then, a shutter of a heating chamber is opened, the carrier is stood at right angle, and this carrier is lowered to release its locked state. While the carrier is moved by one step in the heating chamber, the module IC is heated at a test condition.
The shutter between the heating chamber and the test site is opened, through which the carrier in the heating chamber is horizontally transferred to the test site side. This carrier is then pushed in a direction perpendicular to the carrier moving direction, so that patterns of the module ICs can be in contact with terminals of the test socket. Then, the test is performed for a preset time period. Subsequently, after opening a shutter between the test site and the unloading chamber, the carrier is horizontally moved to be locked to the unloading side rotator. The unloading side rotator is returned to its horizontal placement, and the carrier is extracted from the unloading side rotator and moved to the unloading position. The unloading side picker takes and holds the modules IC from the horizontally placed carrier located at the unloading position, and unloads the sorted module ICs according to the test results into the customer tray. The carrier of which the module ICs have been completely unloaded is horizontally moved to the loading position. Thus, the sequential movement of the carrier can be achieved accordingly.
However, such sequential movements of the carrier are for a single carrier in the system. The completion of a single carrier movement needs to provide another subsequent carrier. This may not cause a significant problem at the time of testing a smaller amount of the module ICs. But, the tests for a larger amount of the module ICs are not suitable due to a longtime needed to provide the carrier, resulting in lag of work and lowered productivity.
Moreover, in case different spacing between the support bases of the carrier are adopted depending upon the kinds of the module ICs, it is required to prepare extra carriers corresponding to relatively many kinds of the module ICs. Therefore, there is a problem in that the cost necessary for preparing the required carriers is needed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a carrier handling apparatus for a module IC handler, having the purposes of providing two carriers, but of a simple structure of the apparatus for reducing the dimension of the apparatus and enhancing its efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for handing carriers of a module IC handler which, in a system, provides two carriers each containing the module ICs therein and is able to thereby simultaneously perform the loading/unloading and testing of the module ICs, and therefore reduces the time needed to test and improves the workability.
Another object of the present invention is to make it possible the use of a single carrier, this carrier allowing various types of module ICs to be transferred and loaded by adjusting carrier spacing according to lengths of the module ICs.
To accomplish the above objects, a carrier handling apparatus for a module IC (integrated circuit) handler according to the present invention comprises:
a base frame;
a vertical frame being provided perpendicular to one side of the base frame;
carrier units being fixed at a top of a carrier holder, the carrier holder being disposed parallel at upper portion surfaces of the base frame and provided to slide along LM guide rails;
respective press units being provided, corresponding to respective carrier units, at one side of the vertical frame, and for connecting the module ICs contained in the carrier unit; and
a driving motor providing with pulley provided at one side of the vertical frame so as to slidably move rightward and leftward the carrier unit connected thereto by means of a timing belt.
The carrier unit is comprised of a carrier, a block, a spring, a sensor and a catcher holder, wherein the carrier is fixed on upper portion of the carrier holder to receive plural module ICs and is shaped like a box, the block is fixed at both side portions of the carrier, the spring is installed between the block and the carrier holder and functions to elastically restore the positioning of the carrier, the sensor is used to detect whether or not the module IC is placed in position, the catcher holders respectively provided at both front and back sides of the carrier are coupled to a catcher of the press unit and function to extract the carrier from a test socket.
Further, the carrier unit comprises:
a case for receiving the plural module ICs;
guides being horizontally disposed opposing to each other in inner sides of the case;
moving support bases, each being provided with insertion members each for inserting the plural module IC; and
operating means for adjusting a spacing between the moving support bases.
The operating means comprises;
a hole formed in the moving support base;
a guide rod slidably penetrating through the hole, and having both ends thereof fixed to the case;
double-threaded screw having a right-handed screw and a left-handed screw, each being screwed into each of the moving support base, wherein when the double-threaded screw is rotated, each of the moving support bases screwed into both threaded portions of the screw is moved inwardly or outwardly to each other; and
driving means being coupled to rotate the double-threaded screw.
Also, the driving means comprises:
a pair of first pulleys being fixed into the double-threaded screw;
a second pulley being fixedly mounted on the case;
a belt operatively connecting the first pulleys and the second pulley;
a motor coupled to a revolution axis to rotate the second pulley at predetermined speed; and
a control unit being operated to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise the motor or to reduce or increase in speed of the motor through the use of switch provided.
The second pulley is provided with tension adjusting means for maintaining power-transmission efficiency by adjusting tension of the belt.
The tension adjusting means comprises:
a bracket provided such that the revolution motion of the second pulley is possible, and coupled to the motor;
an elongated hole formed in the bracket; and
a bolt used to fasten the bracket to the case through the elongated hole.
Between the moving support bases 203 and the guide rod 205, is provided a position confinement means for constantly maintaining the position after being moved.
The position confinement means comprises:
a fixing hole formed in the moving support base and penetrated through up to the hole; and
a fixing bolt installed to be screwed into the fixing hole.
The driving means comprises a rotating knob coupled to the second pulley.
The press unit comprises:
a unit bracket provided at one side of the vertical frame, and provided with a motor bracket formed on an upper portion of the unit bracket;
a pair of guides vertically installed at both sides of the unit bracket for a vertical slidable motion.;
a ball screw vertically provided between the pair of guides;
a guide plate fixedly connecting the guide plates and the top portion of the ball screw;
catcher fixing blocks fixed to lower portions of the pair of guides, respectively;
a module press unit installed at lower portion of the catcher fixing blocks and functioning to insert the module ICs into the test socket for the tests;
a plurality of catchers provided at both sides of the catcher fixing block, respectively, and functioning to extract the carrier; and
a press unit motor installed at one side of the motor bracket and coupled to upper portion of the ball screw which protrudes above the guide plate, and being operated to vertically move the catcher fixing blocks.
To accomplish the above-mentioned objects, a method for handling carrier of a carrier handling apparatus is provided, the method comprising the steps of:
an indexing/testing step in which the respective carriers, containing module ICs to be tested, at their initial positions are moved to a press/test position and a loading/unloading position;
testing the module IC contained in the carrier having been moved to the press/test position in said preceding step, and moving the carrier positioned at the loading/unloading position to an unloading tray elevator;
after the carrier being moved to the unloading elevator, moving another carrier from the loading tray elevator to the loading/unloading position;
an indexing/testing step of moving the test-finished carrier in the press/test position to its initial position, and of moving the carrier moved to the loading/unloading position to the test/press position;
testing the respective carriers having been moved from the loading/unloading position to the press/test position, and moving the test-finished carriers, having been returned to their initial positions, to the unloading tray elevator; and
after the respective test-finished carriers being moved to the unloading tray elevator, loading the carriers to their initial positions in the loading tray elevator.